Ross Brings Home Nationals Victory
Saturday night saw some of the best racing so far at Spoon River Speedway in 2018. Twenty five USAC SpeeD2 Midgets would attempt to tame the high banked oval at the USAC SpeeD2 Midget National event. Twenty three cars would compete in the Dirtcar Modified division for one thousand to win.
After heat races the first feature out was the Dirtcar Pro Late Model division. Father 9 Scott Scooter May)and son (Austin May)would lead the ten car field to the green. Austin would get the jump on his dad and jump out to a early lead. Scott May and Samuel Halstead would battle it out for second with Sean dray right behind them in fourth. A caution field race would see some of the front runners set to the rear. On one of the last restarts Austin May would have his left rear tire go down ending his night. Dray would inherit the lead with Scott May and Halstead working their way back up to second and third after being sent to the rear on different occasions. Dray would hold off attempts from May and Halstead for the last five laps to bring home his first feature win of his career. Halstead would get past May for second with track points leader Jacob Denney with a strong run finishing fourth. Heat wins went to Austin May and Halstead.
The National USAC SpeeD2 Midget event was next to hit the track. Twenty five midgets would compete to make the twenty car feature field for five hundred to win. Gedd Ross would lead the field to the green with Andy Baugh to his outside. Ross would jump out to the early lead running the low line with Baugh running high and Shane Morgan to Baughs inside battling for second. Morgan would move around Baugh for second and put pressure on Ross for the lead. The men on the move were eleventh place starter Adam Taylor and Robby McQuinn. These two men were burning up the high side in dramatic fashion trying to run down Ross and Morgan. Baugh after jumping the cushion would fall back to eighth when the red flag would fly for Sean Murphy roll over on the front stretch. Murphy would climb back in his midget and race it to a eighth place finish. On the lap sixteen restart Baugh would go high to get around Mark Billings and would catch his tire sending Baugh flipping down the front stretch ending up at the top of turn one. Luckily Baugh came away unscaved but that couldn’t be said for his 6B midget. When the green flew once again Ross would fall back and McQuinn would jump into the lead. Ross, McQuinn and Taylor would swop the lead back and forth for the next six laps until McQuinn would jump the cushion and Ross and Taylor would shoot past him. Taylor would ride Ross bumper until the last lap and last turn were he would shoot to the bottom to pass Ross but Ross was to strong and came across the line to pick up the feature win. Taylor would settle for second followed by a strong run by Blake Buchholz and Adam Leffel, John Heydenreich would finish in fifth. Heat race wins went to Ross, McQuinn and Baugh.
Josh Allen would set fast time in the Dirtcar modified division Saturday night and win the first of three heat races. Other heat wins went to Dave Wietholder and Brandon Roberts. As the twenty three car came to the green Roberts would jump out to the lead running the bottom of the track. Pole sitter Zac Oedewaldt would jump to the high side and challenge Roberts for the lead. With these two running side by side the charging Mark Anderson would try and stick his nose in between the two but the door would slam on him before he could complete the past. Oedewaldt would final get by Roberts on the high side on lap nine out of twenty five. Derrick Carlson, starting eleventh, would charge his modified to the front and be battling for second place with Roberts and Anderson. Oedewaldt would jump the cushion allowing Roberts, Carlson and Anderson to get past. Anderson would move around Carlson with five to go and set his sights on Roberts. Running on the edge of the berm Anderson would go for the lead coming to the checkered flag following just two hundredths short of the win. Roberts would bring home his second feature win at Spoon this year. Following Roberts and Anderson was a strong run by Carlson, Oedewaldt and Josh Allen in fifth.
Jake Montgomery is on a hot streak and it continued for the young hot shot Saturday night in the E-Mod feature event. Josh Allen driving for Ray Rivers would jump out to the lead followed closely by Billy Puckett (Driving for Steve Jones) and Montgomery. Montgomery would get past Smith on lap five and never look back. Butch Weisser and Mason Duncan would battle it out for second with Weisser holding Duncan off at the line. Smith would finish the night in fourth with twelfth place starter Kyle Girard finishing in fifth. Heat wins went to Duncan who set fast time and Weisser .
Last out were the Dirtcar Hornets which saw pole sitter Brett Pratt jump out front and cruise home for the feature win. Iowa driver Erik VanApeldoorn would finish in second followed by April Holt and David DeFrance. Heat wins went to VanApeldoorn and Pratt.
Racing will resume next Saturday night June 16th for the Bill Anderson Memorial when the Dirtcar Modifieds will compete for fifteen hundred to win. Spoon will also have the makeup for the Kids Candy Dash at intermission. Check their Face Book page and website for more information.
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New Track Records Set At Spoon
On a hot and steamy night, Spoon River Speedway saw three track records tied or broken at the Gary Cook Jr Memorial race Sunday night. One hundred and two cars showed up to attack the lightning fast oval. Steven Brooks would tie the Modified track record, Ray Bollinger, with a lap of 14.301 seconds averaging over 96mph. The Super Late Model record held by Dennis Erb Jr (13.196) was broke by Ryan Unzicker with a lap of 13.118 averaging over 100 mph. The final track record was broke in the Hornet division by Adam Webb with a lap of 18.487 seconds breaking Steve Jones 18.567 lap.
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